Give
Mercy

Scientists Push for New Wave of Eugenics with Genome Testing for all Newborns

Soon, doctors and scientists expect to begin controversial genome sequencing of healthy newborn babies, part of a research program funded by the federal government on behalf of genetic science.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the research will be conducted at major hospitals and health institutions around the country. The project "stems from a growing recognition that genome sequencing could someday be part of routine testing done on every baby," the paper said in its online edition.

That kind of testing, backers say, will give doctors and parents lots of information which could reveal a wider range of possible risks to their children's health later in life -- much more so than the current traditional heel-prick test in which blood is taken from a small number of newborns to check for dozens of potential health issues.

There are a number of issues and questions surrounding genome sequencing in newborns, however. Most of the human genome is shrouded in mystery, and there is no guarantee that, once it is fully sequenced, doctors will have the capacity to utilize and interpret data provided by the sequencing.

Also, there is an added expense factor to consider.

And finally, there are ethical considerations.

Indeed, some families have expressed concerns and discomfort with genetic information and as such have opted out of having their newborns tested. However, if the sequencing process were to become universal for newborns, "there will need to be population-wide education and acceptance, which I foresee will take longer than solving the technical problems," Joshua E. Petrikin, director of neonatal genomics at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. -- which obtained federal funding to study sequencing in sick newborns -- told the paper.